I had my second outing today on my boat. This time, I put in at the Burlington boat ramp. It was sheltered, and had docks, but it also had a very narrow channel. This was a problem when my motor refused to start again. It had started and ran for several minutes a couple of days ago, on the ramp was no joy. The boats on either side of the channel were pretty expensive, so I wasn't sure how I was going to get out. I am talking about twenty foot gaps between the boats, or less.
Anyway, I decided to sail out under jib alone, and used the paddle to help keep to the center of the channel.
Once out in the breakwater, it was a goat rope getting the new main up. I most have looked like a fool. The wind was quite strong, so I have hove to, to raise the main, but i still was blown almost onto the ferry docks. Finally, I got the sail raised, and headed down the breakwater to one of the openings.
I was out at about ten am. Winds were forecasted to be 10 to 15 knots, but it was clear they were closer to fifteen than ten. I had the sail full up, but had to keep a permanent luff bulge in it to keep from going over. Winds wer from the South, and I was beating southwest. It was clear right away that I should have put in a reef. But, there was no way I was going to try to reef in that wind, still new to the boat, with two foot seas. Ahead was Juniper Island, a long two miles off. I decided to stick with the tack and sail to the lee of the island to to the reef.
Lack Champlain yacht club out of Shelburne Bay was having some kind of race. When I got to the island and fought my way into the lee, there was a judging launch there. I have no idea what they thought of my reefing. I don't have jiffy get reefing, a topping lift or a reefing hook, so I had to drop the sail, tie in the four reefs, try to outhaul the sail again, and raise sail, all in rolling seas. By the time I was done, I had drifted back into the high winds.
The reef left a bulge along the luff and a crease in the sail, but it was moderately better sailing. However, as I found out later when I checked the wind speed chart online, the wind had kicked it up to 20 knots, with four foot seas.
I continued towards the New York shore. I passed through the line of returning LCYCers without incident and a windsurfer shot past me doing about thirty knots. As a approached within a couple of miles of New York, I could see a thunderhead was forming. I looked upwind, and was startled by what I saw. White caps. Not just a couple, like I had been seeing. Lots of white caps. Every wave had white caps, as far as the eye could see. And the waves looked pretty big to.
That was enough for me, and I spun around and headed back towards Burlington on a broad reach. My bilge had taken on about ten gallons of water judging by what I saw in the inspection port. Every wave that lifted the stern sent that water to the bow, driving it down into the water. The water was being thrown to either side from the speed. Behind the stern, I had a permanent one foot wake following me. When the waves passed by and lifted the bow, the water rushed aft, and when it hit the stern the boat almost seemed to stop.
Finally, inside the breakwater, I had to tack backup to the boat ramp. It was crowded and narrow, tacking up. I would come within thirty feet of each side. Finally, I entered the channel without hesitation, puffed my main and smoothly sailed straight to the dock at the ramp. A family of ducklings was sunning there. As I clambered about, unrigging the boat, the mother decided it was too much and lead the family away.
At 3:30, I was in my car, ready to head home. Five hours, winds ten to twenty knots, approximately 16 to 18 miles covered.
I ache. I'll clean up any typos later.